Arson Extras
by rogueptoridactyl
Summary: Arson is a story about a father and a son, but what are the other people thinking? A companion to my other fic, Arson, telling the story from other perspectives.
1. Aizawa

Chapter 1: Aizawa

Aizawa Shouta didn't trust the man the second he heard his voice. The arrival of Midoriya Hisashi had interrupted Aizawa's nap, true, but it went beyond that. The man's voice held a level of maliciousness that Aizawa had spotted from miles away.

In short, he had the voice of a villain. Years of pro-hero work had made the distinction abundantly clear to Aizawa.

To his knowledge, Midoriya had never spoken about his father. Aizawa would have expected to have limited information on his students' parents, but this was Midoriya. Anyone within a mile-radius of the kid learned something about someone he admired.

But the kid would want to meet he man standing at the front gates. Even if he didn't, Midoriya at least deserved the option.

With a sigh, Aizawa instructed the man to have his identification waiting. Then he clambered out of his sleeping bag, annoyed with the whole situation.

There was no official U.A. protocol for long-lost parents demanding to see students, so Aizawa would be operating off of judgement along. As he walked to the front gates, as soon as Aizawa saw the man he wanted to tell Hisashi Midoriya to leave, go back to wherever he'd popped up from.

Instead Aizawa merely accepted the man's identification and took pains to memorize all of the information to look the man up later.

"You're Midoriya's father?" Aizawa asked, looking up.

"I am," the man said with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Aizawa wanted nothing more than to strangle the man with his scarf, but if he did that to another supposedly innocent man, Nezu would kill him. The principal still liked to remind Aizawa that they were still dealing with the legal repercussions of last time.

Instead Aizawa said, "Your name isn't anywhere on Midoriya's paperwork. That means we need parental consent for you to see him."

He noticed the man's quirk activating, but it was involuntary. Aizawa was disgusted at the man's lack of control, but as no one was endangered and he wasn't technically on school ground yet, it wasn't technically illegal. He wouldn't give himself dry eye just yet.

"I could call Inko if you want me to," the man offered.

"That won't be necessary," Aizawa said flatly. "I will speak to her myself."

Stepping away, Aizawa dialed the number for Midoriya Inko. He wouldn't normally have a parent's phone number saved in his phone, but due to Midoriya's self-destructive tendencies, it had become a necessity. He had had to make one too many emergency calls to the poor woman.

"Which hospital is he in this time?" Inko asked without any form of greeting, her voice panicked. "Is he going to lose the use of his arms for good?"

"Izuku is fine," Aizawa was quick to say. "I'm calling because we have a man here who claims to be Izuku's father. I checked his identification, and I don't currently have a reason to get him off of school property. Do you have one?"

On the other end of the line, Inko hesitated. "Let Izuku make the choice," she finally said. "But Hisashi is unpredictable. Don't take your eyes off of him. I don't know what he might do. He's never hurt anyone to my knowledge, but he's not the man I knew. Be careful."

Aizawa was glad that Inko was picking up on the same concerns he had, but also a bit worried, because that meant she'd had some contact with the man, and that put a sour taste in Aizawa's mouth.

"He won't touch any of my students, especially Izuku," Aizawa promised. "Thanks, Inko."

Hanging up, Aizawa opened the gates for Hisashi. "Your story checks out. If you'll follow me, there's paperwork to be done, then we'll go get Izuku to see you."

The man was clearly furious, although he made a feeble attempt at hiding it. The eye twitch and the smoke leaking from his mouth would have given away, if the crazed look in his eye hadn't been glaringly obvious. But Aizawa could feel him attempting to restrain his quirk, so he didn't see anything.

Hisashi made an attempt at small talk, but Aizawa merely said, "I will warn you, if you don't keep your quirk in check, you will be escorted off campus without seeing your son. You are not authorized to use your quirk here."

Besides, the smoke was starting to bother his eyes.

The man was a little _too_ curious about the school. He stared at everything like he was trying to uncover its secrets, with an intensity that made Aizawa a little uncomfortable. THe look in his eyes was eerily like Midoriya's when he was analyzing fights, but he wasn't nearly as observant as his son. His eyes skipped over things that Izuku would have been furiously scribbling about in his notebook.

Aizawa deliberately led the man to one of the first rooms he came across upon entering the school: the interrogation room. He decided that the less Midoriya Hisashi saw of U.A., the better.

Hisashi tried again to talk to Aizawa, but he finally found the paperwork he'd been seeking and slammed it down on the table that sat in the interrogation room. It was the same paperwork that was given to the few employees that weren't pro-heroes.

Nezu had installed the interrogation room for particularly serious misdemeanors among the students. It seemed innocuous enough, decorated like a small conference room, but there was a two-way mirror that connected to an observation room, well supplied with popcorn.

After another bout of Hisashi trying to make small talk, Aizawa excused himself. "I need to speak briefly with a colleague."

Aizawa left Hisashi to fill out paperwork, deciding to share the problem. He strode down the hallway until he came to a certain office.

Normally he would've enlisted Mic, or Midnight, but as this concerned Midoriya, there was really only one option.

He didn't bother to knock as he entered the office. "Toshinori, I need your help."

The skinny man instantly straightened up, eyes intent on Aizawa. "What's wrong?"

"We have a visitor," he said grimly. "He feels like a villain, but legally I have no reason to kick him out."

Toshinori tensed. "And who is this visitor?"

"Midoriya's father. I know you have some bond with the kid that I don't pretend to understand, so you're the best person to handle this," Aizawa said. "You talk to Midoriya and I'll babysit his father."

Toshinori nodded. "I appreciate that, Aizawa."

While Toshinori left for the dorms, Aizawa sighed before starting back towards the interrogation room. He was exhausted, and he desired nothing more than to stick Midoriya Hisashi in one of the dungeons that Nezu doubtlessly had around the school. However, he hoped that he was doing what was best for Midoriya. The boy was sentimental enough to want his father in his life, even if the man was the flaming garbage he seemed to be.

But the second Midoriya Hisashi was less than beneficial for his son, Aizawa would be there. He would never admit it, but this group of students was special, and among, them, Midoriya would go far. However, they were still kids. While they had already faced so much, Midoriya especially, it was Aizawa's duty to protect his kids from what he could.

Besides, Aizawa had a feeling that if this man hurt Izuku, Class 1A would have some things to say.

* * *

 **A/N: For any first-time readers, this is a companion for my other fic, Arson. This won't make a ton of sense without reading that as well. This is Aizawa's perspective on the events of chapter 3 of that. Next up is All Might's perspective! These chapters are going to be shorter than usual, as they're not really establishing new plot, they're just giving a broader perspective.**

 **As always, let me know what you think. If you have any characters you want to hear from, let me know! I also want to have a lot of fun with these chapters, so there will be some ridiculous side stories as well.**

 **Note: I was really entertained by the idea of Aizawa and Inko knowing each other fairly well. I imagine the two know each other pretty well, because they have Deku the problem child to collectively worry about. I like to think the two are bros, maybe go out for tea every now and then and commiserate about how stressful raising Deku is. They thought about inviting All Might, but sometimes he's even more of a problem child than Deku.**


	2. All Might

Chapter 2: All Might

Toshinori valued his relationship with young Midoriya. He would even go so far as comparing Izuku to a son, although he had never verbalized it.

It killed Toshinori to see the look in Midoriya's eyes when he heard that his father was waiting to see him. Midoriya, who had practically been glowing at lunch today, looked sick. He instantly paled, losing the shine in his eyes. In fact, he resembled the insecure boy Toshinori had first met more than the hero that Izuku strove to become.

"You're sure it's my father?" the boy asked.

"As sure as we can be," Toshinori said grimly. "You don't have to meet with him if you don't want to. We checked your file and he signed over all of his parental rights to your mother. You control everything that happens."

Midoriya still looked panicked, but he said, "I do want to see him."

As Toshinori walked Izuku to the main campus, he couldn't help but worry for his young successor. He could feel the anxiety rolling off the boy in waves.

Placing a hand on the boy's shoulder, Toshinori had him pause. "We'll go in when you're ready, Midoriya."

"All Might?" the boy asked in a small voice. "What if he doesn't want me?"

But the boy's real question was easily read in his eyes: _Why doesn't he want me?_

"Unfortunately, Midoriya my boy, we don't get to choose our blood. But we do get to choose our family. You get to control who is close to your heart, who you fight for. No matter what your father says or feels, you have people, Midoriya my boy, people who will fight for you," Toshinori said. "You have your mother, your classmates, Aizawa, Gran Torino… and me. You will always have me."

Midoriya wrapped his arms around Toshinori's thin body, tears leaking down his face. The two stayed like that until the boy could compose himself, wiping his tears away with trembling hands.

Toshinori patted the boy's head, hoping he had said the right thing. But, one didn't become the Symbol of Peace without knowing how to make a good speech. It helped that Toshinori felt each word in his very soul.

Breathing in deeply, Midoriya said, "I'm ready."

Toshinori didn't question the boy, he merely nodded and began leading the way to the interrogation room. Once there, Midoriya opened the door. Before he could go through, though, Toshinori placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Remember what I told you, Midoriya my boy."

All Might couldn't help it when his eyes slid over to the man standing in the back of the room. Hisashi was a plain-looking man, his hair shaved close to his head. His eyes were black and beady, only resting on one thing for the barest moment. He was slight, and vastly shorter than Toshinori.

Upon seeing the man, Toshinori's hero instincts flared up, all senses agreeing that this man couldn't be trusted.

Aizawa was giving Hisashi a death glare before he departed, saying, "As soon as you're done we'll be here to see you out."

Closing the door gently, Toshinori followed Aizawa to the next door down, the observation room. Aizawa had already prepared popcorn for the both of them, so Toshinori settled into one of the recliners.

When Izuku introduced himself both men groaned. Kneading his temples, Aizawa muttered, "Of course he knows who you are Midoriya, he's half your DNA."

Hisashi began rambling about how old Izuku was and how happy he was to be back in Japan. Toshinori saw how each word chipped away at his successor and the boy's hard-earned confidence. Both Aizawa and Toshinori stiffened when Hisashi said, "Sometime I'm going to have to see that quirk of yours in action."

Izuku's eyes were hazy, unfocused. "Oh, you saw the Sports Festival," he said faintly. He looked broken, resigned to his fate when he clenched his hand into a fist and met his father's eyes, a steely resolve set into every line of Izuku's face. "You came home because I have a quirk now, didn't you?"

Toshinori's chest was bursting with pride at seeing Izuku face his father head on. Aizawa's face quirked into a smirk. "Midoriya always comes off as so… pure. It's nice to see he has a cutthroat side."

Hisashi's fumbling reply made Toshinori long to dump his bag of popcorn over the man's head. Or a vat of acid. As the conversation progressed, it was painfully obvious that it was going nowhere. However, when Izuku called Hisashi Mr. Midoriya, Aizawa choked on his popcorn (but Toshinori had never seen his look more proud).

Then the conversation took a sinister turn.

When Izuku told Hisashi about his hero analysis, the man perked up. "That must help you a lot in your hero coursework. You must know a lot about heroes, and their weaknesses."

"Yagi, I don't like this," Aizawa said.

Straightening up, Izuku said, "I usually focus on their strengths."

Toshinori barely heard Hisashi's reply. He was furious on behalf of Izuku, and quirk or no, he was still All Might. "Young Midoriya has handled this well, but there's no reason to let this continue."

Marching to the interrogation room, Toshinori wrenched the door open, utilizing every ounce of self-control he possessed to keep his voice calm. "I'm afraid visiting hours are over." He also took care to straighten to stand at his full height. While his amount of muscle mass was laughable, Toshinori still towered over most people, and he could still be an imposing figure when he chose to.

Hisashi glared at Toshinori, venom in his eyes. "I wasn't done speaking with my son."

"Well, the rules are the rules," Toshinori replied, desperately wishing he had still had his quirk so he could literally throw the man out of the school. "I apologize, Mr. Midoriya, but you really must leave."

Smoke was beginning to leak from Hisashi's mouth, and Toshinori vaguely remembered Izuku telling him that his father could breathe fire. "I've come all this way to see my son," The man said, a puff of smoke accenting each word. "I will see my son."

Izuku shifted, but before things could escalate, Hisashi backed off, hacking on smoke.

"You're leaving now," Aizawa announced from behind Toshinori. "You will be escorted out by either me or the police."

Hisashi nodded, moving to leave. Before following Aizawa through the doorway, though, the man turned back. "I'm still determined to get to know my son. I'll be back."

Toshinori tensed as Hisashi moved towards Izuku.

"Can't a father give his son a hug?" Hisashi asked, deliberately draping his arms over Midoriya. Midoriya, on the other hand, stood completely rigid, looking more panicked than Toshinori had ever seen him.

It looked like Hisashi may have whispered something in his son's ear before letting Izuku go and sauntering after Aizawa.

Midoriya, he was left looking broken. Years of paternal pain and betrayal was clear on the boy's face as he stared at the now closed door.

Decades of being the number one hero had taught Toshinori how to deal with everything but this, it seemed. Midoriya's pain was clear on his face, but if he pushed too hard, Toshinori sensed he would only bring greater suffering to the boy. Hesitantly he asked, "Do you want me to walk you back to the dorms, Young Midoriya?"

The boy attempted a smile, and the sight of it made Toshinori feel like his heart was slowly being crushed by an unforgiving fist. "Thanks, but no. I'll be fine, All Might. I need to finish my laundry." With a quick wave, the boy practically sprinted from the room.

It took everything in Toshinori not to follow after his protege, but he knew that he would probably make things worse. Izuku was having troubles with his father. The last thing he needed was conflicting emotions. Toshinori was aware that he was something of a father figure to the boy, and the boy needed time to understand his own emotions. It killed him, but Toshinori watched on as Izuku darted across campus, small shoulders weighed down with far too much.

* * *

 **A/N: Hey everyone, back with another chapter! I really enjoyed writing this chapter, and I hope you all enjoyed it! It's finals week for me, so I won't make any promises on when the next chapter will be up. Leave a comment, let me know what you thought, and/or whose perspectives you want to hear from! Next is going to be Todoroki, and then Inko, but after that I'm not totally sure.**

 **fencer29-I'm glad you enjoyed Aizawa's chapter!**

 **patrickthenobleman- Thanks, I can never spot my own typos!**


	3. Todoroki

Chapter 3: Todoroki

Shoto had noticed Midoriya leave the dorm with All Might, but anymore that was a normal occurrence. Usually it was for training purposes, but they would also do seemingly mundane things together, like eating together, or merely taking time to talk. Part of Shoto still stubbornly believed that All Might was Midoriya's father, simply because All Might would be the best father and Midoriya deserved the best father.

When All Might came to retrieve Midoriya, it seemed that the two were going out to lunch. Midoriya was beaming brighter than the sun itself as he skipped out of the dorms. When he came back a few hours later, Midoriya was smiling even _brighter_ , which by all logic shouldn't have been physically possible.

In many ways Midoriya was still a mystery to Shoto. He had never before encountered someone who was so stubbornly optimistic and helpful, and most of the time it still felt like a foreign concept. But he couldn't have picked a better person to be his first friend. (Not that Shoto had had much of a choice in the matter, Midoriya had just kind of… happened.)

Not long after, All Might once again came for Midoriya, but the look on the teacher's face set Shoto on edge. Something was wrong, and he wasn't the only person who had picked up on it. Midoriya hadn't been gone long, but when he did return, it was like he was a totally different person.

He stumbled into the dorms, the shine in his eyes completely gone. Only a handful of people noticed him at first, the cacophony of their classmates masking the sound of his arrival.

"Midoriya?" Tsuyu asked gently. "Are you okay?"

He twisted his face into the simulacrum of a smile, but it was fundamentally wrong to Shoto. "Fine," he said, his eyes not really seeing. Then he stumbled forward up the stairs.

Before he could stop himself, Shoto was silently tailing Midoriya, motioning for the others to stay put.

Midoriya immediately went to the laundry room, shutting the door behind him. Shoto paced outside, debating with himself on what to do. Then he heard something he wouldn't have expected ever: Midoriya sobbed. At the initial noise, Shoto froze. It built, sounds of his anguish filtering through the door.

Shoto couldn't stop himself from ripping open the door. "Midoriya? What's wrong?!"

His friend lunged to his feel, trying to control his erratic breathing. Soon he was going to start hyperventilating. "To-Todoroki," Midoriya stammered. "I'm f-fine."

This was Midoriya in a way Shoto had never seen before. He was pale and shaking as his body betrayed him, more tears covering his cheeks than Shoto had ever seen. His chest heaved up and down, and his eyes were once more blindly staring.

"Midoriya, what do you need? What happened?" Shoto asked. There was no reply, he merely started actually hyperventilating. Remembering his training, Shoto tore out of the room in search of a paper bag.

As he flew down the stairs, Shoto nearly collided with Mineta. Shoto was about to apologize when his eyes landed on the boy's hands, hands holding exactly what he was looking for.

"I need this," Shoto said, snatching the bag. Mineta protested as Shoto opened the bag, extricating a lewd magazine that he promptly set ablaze. "Also, you're a terrible person," Shoto said before sprinting back upstairs.

Midoriya was sitting on the floor, only upright because the wall was supporting him. Shoto gently pressed the bag into his hand, and Midoriya took it from there.

Shoto hesitantly put a hand on Midoriya's shoulder, but it seemed to comfort him. After a few minutes, Midoriya lowered the bag from his mouth, his breathing a lot more even. He brought his eyes upwards, meeting Shoto's eyes.

"Are you okay not, Midoriya?"

He nodded, and this time it seemed sincere. Shoto hesitated before asking, "Can I… Can I ask what's going on?"

Midoriya audibly swallowed and nodded, raising his eyes to Shoto's. Shoto felt an acute pang in his chest when he saw how lifeless Midoriya's eyes looked.

"My... " Midoriya hesitated like it was a dirty confession. "My father came to visit."

Before he could stop himself, Shoto said, "Your father? I always assumed he was dead."

Midoriya didn't respond, he merely stared at the laundry room vacantly before silently trying to dry his tears. Shoto mentally kicked himself for blurting whatever was on his mind. He was being the worst friend, especially after everything Midoriya had done for Shoto.

"You can talk to me about this later, Midoriya," Shoto finally said, praying he was saying the right words. "Whenever you're ready, I'll listen. For now I think you need to sleep."

Midoriya didn't respond, so Shoto opened the door to make shepherding the smaller boy easier.

Shoto's eyes widened to find Ashido and Uraraka standing at the door, matching expressions of shock. He suppressed the sigh that wanted to shake his entire body and motioned for them to duck out of sight.

As Shoto helped Midoriya up, he couldn't help but think about how the girls would complicate things. Uraraka was okay, and Shoto knew she wouldn't go spouting off to everyone, but Ashido was a problem. Even as Shoto guided Midoriya to his room, he wouldn't be surprised if Ashido was already sliding down the bannister proclaiming that something was wrong with Midoriya. Shoto just hoped that they hadn't heard very much.

It wasn't that Shoto disliked Ashido. He was fairly neutral towards the girl, she was merely excessively loud. That, and the entire class knew that she couldn't be trusted with secrets. Hopefully Uraraka would help with damage control.

Shoto eased the catatonic Midoriya into bed and moved to leave, but not before he heard a whispered, "Thanks." Shoto merely nodded at Midoriya, though part of him was halfway grateful for the opportunity to do to even marginally help Midoriya. He owed the smaller boy a lot.

Reluctantly shutting Midoriya's bedroom door, but knowing his friend needed rest, Shoto instead thought about how he feared what waited for him downstairs. Ashido probably had Class 1A worked into a full blown panic.

Sure enough, Ashido's voice was carrying across the building. "I didn't hear what they were saying but Midoriya looked terrible! I've never heard someone breathe so fast either-"

Ashido cut off at Shoto's entrance before practically pouncing on him. "You heard, Todoroki, what's wrong with Midoriya?"

"That's his business," Todoroki stated.

"Todoroki is right," Uraraka spoke up, clearly relieved at the turn of conversations. "Deku will tell us if he wants us to know. But we could do something nice for him!"

People instantly agreed and began brainstorming. As much as Shoto wanted to help Midoriya, he felt that the combined efforts of his classmates would be sufficient to make dinner or whatever it was they were planning. That in mind, Shoto retreated to his room to do some intensive internet research on how to talk to people about emotionally difficult circumstances.

* * *

 **A/N: And I'm back with a chapter at two in the morning... on Christmas... Merry Christmas from me? Thank you to everyone who commented on the last chapter of Arson, it was great to hear from each of you why you're still reading. I'm a little more emotionally recovered from finals and Stephen.**

 **Quick change in plans, next chapter is going to be from Bakugou's perspective rather than Inko's, but I swear you guys will get to hear from Inko soon! Comment which characters you want to hear from!**


	4. Bakugou

Chapter 4: Bakugou

Katsuki had been playing a video game with Kirishima and _minding his fricken business_ when he heard Pinky spouting off about something being wrong with Deku. Kirishima looked slightly concerned, but Katsuki just snorted. The nerd was always freaking out over one thing or another.

He distantly heard his name, but he couldn't think of anything he'd done to Deku recently. That in mind, Katsuki immersed himself completely into the game until a horde of his classmates came to stand in front of the TV.

Pausing the fame, Katsuki glared at them. "What do you want?"

Glasses cleared his throat. "Bakugou, I can't help but remember how… comfortable you are in the kitchen."

Katsuki growled, "Get to the point, Four-Eyes."

"Do you know how to make katsudon?" Round Face interrupted.

"Of course, I'm not an idiot," Katsuki snorted.

"Perfect, you're making it tonight," Round Face announced.

"Like he-" he began, but barely caught himself, "-ck I am, Round Face. Why would I make katsudon?"

"Because it's Deku's favorite."

"You realize that that makes me want to make it less, right? Why would I do anything for that stupid nerd?" he demanded.

"Deku is really… stressed right now," Round Face said haltingly. "Or worried might be a better word."

"In case you haven't noticed, worrying is pretty much the only thing that nerd knows how to do," Katsuki said. "Now leave, I was in the middle of something."

The look of frustration that crossed the girl's face made Katsuki huff. She was just like that stupid nerd- no matter what happened, they almost never seemed to get angry, like they were above the emotion, or some crap like that. He didn't really see the appeal, Katsuki did some of his best work when he was angry.

But then a sly look replaced the frustrated one, looking foreign on the girl's round fae. "That's too bad, I guess Bakugou really doesn't know how to make katsudon."

"Shut your round face," Katsuki growled. "I see what you're doing, but it won't work."

"You don't have to be embarrassed, Bakugou. You should've just told us you couldn't make katsudon," she fussed. "I'm sure Satao would be happy to…"

Katsuki threw down the game controller before he accidentally destroyed it with his quirk. "All right, I'll make katsudon, are you happy? That extra doesn't know how Deku likes it."

Kirishima raised an eyebrow. "And you do?"

"My old hag forced me to make it from Deku's mom," Katsuki spat. "The whole time she just gushed about how he liked it." Then, before anyone could keep talking, he pushed past everyone to the kitchen.

Once inside, Katsuki felt his rage slowly convert to motivation. Round Face thought he was lying when he said he could make katsudon, so he would make the best katsudon anyone had ever tasted.

Katsuki had always loved cooking. He had dealt with the teasing that his hobby had brought him because as a child it was one of the few instances that he was not only allowed, but encouraged to be near fire and knives. He would never admit it, but Katsuki also remembered with fondness the times that Aunt Inko had taken to teach him the basics of cooking. Back then his treatment of Deku had consisted primarily of name calling, so any evidence of bullying was easy to hide.

Katsuki had revelled in the cooking lessons, puffing out his chest in pride when Deku would declare that "Kacchan is the best cook in the world."

Unconsciously, Katsuki clenched a wooden spoon so tightly that it snapped in half. Stupid Deku, he always managed to ruin things one way or another. Sure, Katsuki would make the nerd's favorite food, but the nerd would have to give an explanation that satisfied Katsuki, or he would pay.

The food had just finished when Shark Teeth came in, trying to tell Katsuki that he needed to be kind to Deku.

"Is the nerd finally awake?" Katsuki asked.

"Yeah, he just came downstairs," Kirishima said. "Just be manly, not pushy. Okay, Bakugou?"

"Move it, Shark Teeth!" Katsuki roared, shoving the other teen back with a small explosion. Kirishima activated his quirk just in time, leaving the boy merely off balance rather than fried. "If I have to make katsudon for that stupid nerd then I'm going to find out what's wrong with him. I don't care what you losers say, and i'm not afraid of the half and half ba-" Katsuki cut off, seeing the look that Round Face was shooting him. "I'm not afraid of Icy Hot. What's wrong with you, Deku? If I was forced to make you fricken' katsudon for some pansy reason, I swear I'll blow your head off."

Deku finally raised his eyes to meet Katsuki's, a fake smile pasted over his face. "It's not a big deal, really. I just had a visitor, that's all. There's no need to worry, Kacchan."

Katsuki felt rage boiling within him once more. "Don't pull that crap, Deku. Who was your visitor?"

"It w-was just my dad," the nerd stammered.

Those few words were a bucket of cold water over Katsuki's anger. Suddenly Katsuki felt the need to apologize to the nerd, but instead he growled, "You better eat every frickin' bite of katsudon."

"Thanks for making it," the nerd chirped, brightening.

Katsuki snorted. "You're going grocery shopping next."

With that small interaction done, Katsuki retreated, leaving Deku to his touchy-feely friends. However, before Katsuki could return to the kitchen, his least favorite classmate sidled up to him.

"So, Bakugou," Mineta said, "what's the deal with Midoriya's dad? You must know something."

"Do you want to die, raisin?" Katsuki growled. "If you want to know anything you have to ask Deku."

Storming back to the kitchen, Katsuki wanted to blow something up. Midoriya Hisashi would be ideal, but Katsuki would settle for the grape.

Midoriya Hisashi was a person Katsuki had avoided thinking about for years. Even back when he and Deku had been friends, the man had been a looming shadow, a kind of bogeyman. Back when the man still called with some regularity, Deku had constantly pestered Aunt Inko to tell stories about the man. Katsuki realized that the phone calls almost stopped completely when Deku had been declared quirkless, slowing to roughly once a month last Katsuki had heard. He wouldn't be surprised if the man only called once or twice a year now, if at all.

There had been a few times when Aunt Inko left Izuku and Katsuki to talk to Hisashi. Back then, as soon as Auntie left the room, it was like Hisashi became a different person. The sound of the man's voice shifted from friendly to chilling, and he wasted no time in telling Izuku that he was Hisashi's greatest mistake. He would then threaten to burn Deku in various ways if he ever told Aunt Inko what he had said. Every time they spoke he had new ideas of how to burn Deku. He spoke about it in such great detail that it even made Katsuki feel a little sick.

Come to think of it, Aunt Inko probably still didn't know everything Hisashi had told Deku.

Katsuki had only experienced this two or three times, but Deku had confided in him enough that Katsuki knew it was practically routine. This had always been one thing that Katsuki had never used as ammunition. He could truthfully say that he regretted saying a lot of what he had said to Deku in the past. But even when Katsuki had told the nerd to jump off the roof, it was fueled by the knowledge that Deku would still be too frustratingly resilient. But somehow Katsuki knew that if he had used Hisashi to torment Deku, that would be his breaking point.

Against his will, Katsuki's mind flashed to _that day._ He had only been twelve years old, back when Katsuki and Deku had still pretended to be friends to placate their mothers. The two were walking home from school when they stumbled upon a man lurking near their neighborhood. He had an incredibly sinister aura, but Katsuki felt like he recognized the man for some reason.

Deku's eyes were impossibly wide as he stared at the man who smelled like smoke and breathed, "Dad?"

Oh. _Oh._ How could Katsuki have missed it? The man's hair and eyes were black, but there was an undeniable resemblance between him and Deku. The man's hair was an even bigger mess than the nerd's.

Purely out of instinct, Katsuki found himself standing in front of the nerd in that dirty alleyway, palms crackling. Before he could do anything, however, an unseen force slammed Katsuki into a wall, trapping him there and dazing him at the same time.

Katsuki was seeing two as Hisashi glided forward and out of the alleyway, dragging his son by the arm as he told Deku, "Come, Izuku. I have something to show you."

The blond boy stayed there, trapped against the wall until long after Hisashi was gone. When he was finally free, he stepped out of the alleyway. When he stepped on something, he looked down to see Deku's analysis notebook of the time, abandoned on the ground.

That day was the fastest Katsuki could remember running. He burst into Auntie's house, sounding a little like Deku as he told the woman what had happened, all the while cradling the nerd's notebook like it was something precious.

With a cry the small woman sprang into action, calling the police and yelling at them with a ferocity that frankly terrified and impressed Katsuki. Then she sent him over to tell his own mother what was going on, which led to even more yelling and everything short of an angry mob.

It was midnight when Katsuki was woken up to go see Deku in the hospital, not that Katsuki had actually been sleeping. The boy had been found unconscious in yet another alleyway, with absolutely no memory of the day before. The memory loss was said to be because of a quirk. There had been a person with a healing quirk on staff, so Katsuki would never know how serious Deku's injuries had been, but with the way that Auntie Inko had fretted over her son, Katsuki presumed it had been _bad_.

The investigation yielded nothing. Katsuki's claim that the culprit was Midoriya Hisashi wasn't taken seriously at all, as the police had found evidence that the man was in a different country.

But Katsuki knew it had been Hisashi. He never brought it up again, but Katsuki _knew_ it had been Hisashi, and he could tell that Auntie knew it too.

And now the man was back to stay. Part of him was concerned, but part of him gleefully thought of his newly earned provisional licence. Katsuki could feel a fight coming, and if he had any choice in the matter, he would be in the middle of it.

* * *

 **A/N: Hello again, everyone! It feels like it's been forever since I posted last. Things have been a little hectic, I'm getting used to a new semester of classes, and juggling them with two jobs. I also just celebrated my birthday, so that was exciting! The next Arson chapter is a little daunting, Hisashi is always intimidating to write. I also needed a tiny break from writing Hisashi, so I may have started a new fic... It's an AU where Izuku becomes a detective instead of a hero, let me know if that interests you at all! That said, I'm in a much better headspace now, so I'll get the new Arson chapter out soon.** **Bakugou was more fun to write than I anticipated! As always let me know what you all think, comments really inspire me to write!**

 **Speaking of comments, I think the last chapter of Arson is the most comments I've ever gotten. Thank you! I had already been planning to have Izuku and Todoroki have some fun burning Endeavor merch, but almost _every_ comment mentioned that. Now it has to happen, and it shall. **


	5. Present Mic

Hizashi was a man of many hats. Hero, Radio Host, DJ, teacher, they were all things that he enjoyed immensely. He couldn't pick a favorite, but in general he would say that teaching was the most interesting of his jobs.

However, in all of his years of teaching, Midoriya was one of the most interesting children he'd ever dealt with. Hizashi genuinely liked the kid, he was clever and earnest. Everything about the boy was endearing, in Hizashi's opinion. He had seen glimpses of Midoriya's complete lack of self-preservation, but he was a smart kid. Hizashi knew he would figure out how to save someone without destroying his body one of these days.

It seemed like the little listener had a natural affinity for English, but what impressed Hizashi most was that he refused to coast through on talent alone. Midoriya put in more effort than anyone else in the class, often coming to Hizashi with complex questions that native speakers of the language would have trouble answering. He knew that Shouta had dubbed Midoriya the class's "problem child," but Hizashi wasn't in charge of keeping the boy alive (most of the time). He had the privilege of harnessing Midoriya's full intellectual potential without the destructive recklessness.

Yeah, Hizashi loved being a teacher.

All that said, Shouta and Kayama had updated Hizashi on the situation with Midoriya's father, and Hizashi couldn't help but worry. Just seeing the boy around the school, he had seemed off. Present Mic was currently sitting in his office contemplating how he'd love to scream at Midoriya Hisashi the next time he showed up at the school. A part of him also felt personally affronted when he realized how similar their names were. He was seething about this when a quiet knock sounded at his office door.

"Come in!" he called. The door swung open to reveal none other than Midoriya Izuku.

"What can I do for you, Midoriya?" Hizashi asked with a wide smile, a little unnerved at the boy's sudden appearance.

"I… I wanted your help with a letter I'm writing in English, Present Mic sensei," Midoriya said, offering a paper to Hizashi. He noted that the boy also carried an impressively large binder.

"I'm happy to help, Midoriya. I'm surprised that you need help, though, you're pretty much fluent in English as it is."

"It's kind of a… professional letter. There's a lot of technical language as well, I just don't want to make any mistakes," Midoriya said, hands clutching the binder a little too tightly.

Nodding, Hizashi glanced down at the letter, a little surprised to find it was addressed to an American police chief. Intrigued, he read the rest quickly.

It was very politely written, and as always Midoriya's grammar was flawless. However, it was the content of the letter that blew Hizashi away. In the letter, Midoriya addressed the murder of a young American hero that went by Mississippi Mud. Apparently there were no leads on the case, but Midoriya had linked the details of a case to an international criminal that went by Arson.

In the beginning, the whole thing sounded like a massive cryptid, but after reading the letter, Hizashi found himself halfway convinced. To seal the deal, Midoriya passed him a massive binder filled to the brim with information about this "Arson." It contained what was probably every scrap of information on the man, from past murder cases (all unsolved) to various scientific analysis of the man's quirk.

Hizashi had heard of Midoriya's infamous hero analysis notebooks, but this was absurd. He had seen police reports that didn't have even a fraction of the depth and detail that he found here in Midoriya's research.

"So what do you think, sensei?" Midoriya asked, breaking Hizashi out of his internal monologue. Then he was looking straight into Midoriya's impossibly large green eyes, eyes that he knew could fill with tears in two seconds flat. How was this kid so emotional about everything, but he never even batted an eye at evidence of an international hero killer, one that was probably on par with the likes of Stain.

But now wasn't the time to ponder the inner workings of Midoriya. Hizashi was supposed to be answering the kid. "The letter was great, very professional. If you don't mind me asking, Midoriya, how did you stumble across this case?"

"I've always been interested in heroes and quirks. When I was a kid, whenever I wanted to feel closer to my dad I would look up the hero news in whatever country he was supposed to be in at the time." Midoriya visibly withdrew into himself, and then his explanation turned into one of his muttering sessions. Normally they faded into the background, but Hizashi had always been curious what exactly Midoriya said through them, and now was his chance.

"He was also the reason I worked so hard to learn English. Part of me thought that if I was smart enough he would come home. But I guess that was faulty logic, because there would be no way for him to know how well I was doing, or how smart I was. I guess I just wanted to prove to him that I wasn't as useless as he said I was, just like I wanted to prove that to Kacchan. But even when I knew it was a lost cause, I wanted to keep learning English because that opened a whole new world of opportunities, and I learned about a lot more heroes that way. I also learned about Arson. It might still all be conjecture, but it's ridiculously improbable for so many heroes to die the same way internationally and for it not to be the same person." Blinking, the boy's eyes focused on Hizashi once more. "Sorry sensei, I didn't mean to start muttering in front of you."

"It's fine, Midoriya," Hizashi said, fighting a scowl. "Have you ever told anyone about Arson before?"

The boy shook his head. "Up until the most recent cases in America, there wasn't enough scientific analysis to really make my case. He's an underground villain, no one has ever seen him and lived, so we have almost no information about him. We only know that his name is Arson because he leaves a signature on his most gruesome murders. But he never strikes in the same city twice, and he never leaves a signature in the same country twice. This makes it really hard for any of his crimes to be linked, but I've been following this for enough years that I'm pretty sure it's all the same man."

Hizashi had to remind himself to blink. The part of him that had still been raging about Midoriya's father was put to an abrupt halt as the full impact of Midoriya's words sank in. "That's a lot of dedication."

An embarrassed blush crawled across the boy's cheeks. "It's nothing. I just didn't really have friends when I was younger, so I had a lot of free time. I should probably get this all mailed off, so thank you sensei!"

Mic bid the boy farewell with a simple wave, his mind once again dysfunctioning. Had Midoriya really just claimed he had no friends when he was younger, along with a trash heap for a father? Was there no justice in the world?

Hizashi simply sat at his desk, staring at a particular spot on the wall as he processed all of this new information on Midoriya. This was how Shouta found him when he stormed in, about to complain about something or other.

"You would not _believe_ \- wait, what are you doing?"

Hizashi turned to his friends with hollow eyes. "Shouta, it's so much worse than we thought."

* * *

 **A/N: It's been a while! Exams are the worst and I only have more to come. Regardless, I am here! Quick note, this chapter takes place before the latest chapter of Arson, so before Izuku starts suspecting Hisashi of being a villain. If anyone has any suggestions of other perspectives they would like to hear, I'd love to make that happen! Anyway, you can expect the newest chapter of Arson up within the next week should school permit. Fingers crossed!**

 **fencer29- To answer your question, in one of the earlier chapters, Uraraka beat Bakugou at chess. They had had a bet, and Uraraka's reward was that Bakugou couldn't swear for like a month. This is mainly because I refuse to write swearing, but I needed something to keep Bakugou in character.**


	6. Uraraka

Chapter 6: Uraraka

Izuku kicked at her one more time, but Ochako easily caught his ankle in one hand. In one smooth motion, she lashed out with one leg, sweeping his legs out from under him.

He hit the ground with an audible grunt - that one was definitely going to bruise.

"Are you okay, Deku?!"

"I'm fine, Uraraka," he said with a smile. "I'm just a little winded, don't worry."

"But you're not," she blurted, despite herself. "I've pinned you five times in one training session today, and I've never gotten more than twice in a single session. I know you wouldn't just let me pin you to make me feel better. What's going on?"

Izuku, still sprawled out on the floor, forced himself into a sitting position. "I guess my mind is just a little preoccupied."

Ochako's mind flashed to that day not long ago in the laundry room. She had seen Deku near death more times than she could count, more times than she _wanted_ to count. Even through all of that, Ochako couldn't recall anything that even came close to the panic and agony on her friend's face as he was gently comforted by Todoroki.

She had learned about panic attacks along with the rest of the class, but she'd never expected Deku to have one. In her mind, Deku was an unstoppable force of nature, always ready with a plan and willing to fight, despite the injuries he'd undoubtedly accrued. He had inspired Ochako to become the hero she was today.

But in that moment, Ochako had glimpsed the part of Deku that was just as frail and human as the rest of them. She didn't know when she'd started idolizing Deku, or placing him on a pedestal above herself, but that clearly wasn't the case.

Ochako sat on the floor next to her friend. "Really Deku, what's going on?"

She could tell he was going to deny it all, but then he wilted a bit. "Things aren't okay. People keep telling me that everything will be fine, but I have a horrible feeling that it's not true. Something is going to go horribly wrong." He bit his lip, eyes filling with tears. "I just hope that I can protect everyone when the time comes."

"Well, whatever it is, you don't have to face anything alone!" Ochako said firmly. "We'll all be here to help you, so together we can all protect everyone!"

That did calm Izuku a bit, but a deep sadness lingered in his eyes. "Thanks Uraraka. For everything. You really are one of my best friends, I always know I can count on you."

The words were sweet, and they warmed Ochako. But still something was off, still slightly worrying about Deku.

He clearly had faith in their friends, so why was he talking as if this were goodbye?


	7. Kirishima

Chapter 7: Kirishima

Bakugou had been off lately, and Eijiro couldn't help but worry. He was… well, he was Bakugou, so he was an emotionally constipated explosion. But something was wrong. His glares were darker lately, and his rage more genuine.

As far as Eijiro could tell, it had started the day that Bakugou had made katsudon for Midoriya. Clearly Bakugou knew something about what was up with Midoriya and his dad, but it was equally obvious Bakugou wasn't going to spill.

When Ashido had hounded Bakugou for answers, Eijiro had tried to stop her - poking into other people's business wasn't manly. But Bakugou was able to stop her and anyone else who had thought about questioning him about Midoriya's dad. Eijiro was sure that everyone in the dorms had heard Bakugou's rant, one so severe and full of expletives that not even Uraraka had reprimanded him for it.

There were a lot of things about the situation that Eijiro didn't know or understand, but it was almost better that way. He needed to clear his head, and working out was usually the best option.

He heard voices in the nearest training room and grinned. Working out was always more fun with friends. They could all work towards being more manly together!

The door was slightly ajar, so Kirishima peeked in. Midoriya and Todoroki were training, systematically destroying little targets - Eijiro couldn't quite make out what they were. But seeing those two in action like this was a thing of awe - they were both manlier than Eijiro could ever dream of being. Now more than ever, there was an unrestrained joy in the two boys as they obliterated whatever they were throwing around.

Then the two boys huddled in one corner, and they muttered to one another. Eijiro only heard a few words here and there along with the occasional pop of a fire - were they roasting something?

Kirishima debated heavily with himself - should he invite them to come train with him or just go find another training room? He didn't know Todoroki super well, but this could be a good opportunity -

"I think my father is a murderer."

Eijiro straightened up, immediately backing away from the door. Clearly they were in the middle of an important conversation. His rebellious mind couldn't help but connect the dots. It made sense that Bakugou was so secretive about Midoriya's father - and that Midoriya was so close-lipped about it. He was such a happy, open guy, but if he was able to keep this a secret like it was nothing, Eijiro couldn't help but wonder what else Midoriya was hiding.

But he shut those thoughts down almost as quickly as he had them. After all, it wasn't manly to pry into other people's business.

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry about the short chapters, and sorry if this one is too similar to the last chapter. Things are going to pick up soon, once the main story starts moving a little faster.**

 **Thanks for reading! As always I love your comments!**


	8. Kurogiri

Chapter 8: Kurogiri

When he had joined the League of Villains, Kurogiri had no way of knowing that his job would eventually become babysitting Shigaraki Tomura. For whatever reason, Sensei had entrusted his mission to the crusty manchild. Kurogiri was sure All for ONe had some higher plan that was being enacted, it was just a lot harder to trust in his judgements when Shigaraki got his… obsessions.

All Might was an age-old obsession, Shigaraki's main target. But that had lost its luster when All Might had lost his quirk, and most of his fight along with it. For a short period of time Shigaraki had believed that the Bakugou child could be turned to the side of the villains, but it was eventually evident that that would never happen.

His latest object of fascination was even _less_ likely to join the cause than the Bakugou child, but that only served to make Shigaraki _more_ obsessed.

As it was, Shigaraki sat at the bar, idly stroking a picture of his obsession, three fingers running over a mess of green hair. The Midoriya boy seemed to exist solely to throw a wrench in their plans, so the obsession would have made some sense if not for the degree Shigaraki took it to.

He was muttering to himself again about all the things he wanted to do to the Midoriya child, a lot of unhealthy ideas he'd gotten from Toga, who shared his obsession.

Kurogiri sighed. What had the League of Villains come to? "Shigaraki Tomura, you must prepare for the meeting with Arson."

Dabi snorted. "Maybe you can have Arson bring the Midoriya kid to you."

"No!" Shigaraki shrieked, thoughtlessly slamming his hand down. When he remembered himself, he jerked back but it was too late. The photo of the young hero was dust before he even looked down.

An unreadable expression rested on the villain's face, and it was soon obscured by the hand that he carefully positioned over it. "I don't want Arson anywhere near Midoriya. Arson is only good for killing heroes and there's still too much I need to know about him. Besides, I don't wholly trust Arson. I want you to keep an eye on him, this next case is more sensitive than the last fool he offed."

"Of course."

He sniffed, idly brushing away the dust that had been the picture. "And I want another picture of Midoriya Izuku."

"Of course, Shigaraki Tomura."

Kurogiri wanted to sigh. Children, he was surrounded by children. As if to reinforce that thought, Toga appeared in the doorway. "Hey Facepalm, did you take a picture of Deku out of my secret stash?"

The warp villain sighed as the two squabbled, feeling the slightest bit sorry for the Midoriya child. For his own sake, he had better hope that the League of Villains never captured him.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you all for your patience, Arson is going to be coming back soon! Buckle up kids, it's going to be a crazy ride!**


	9. The News

Todoroki

They were in Nezu's office when the text came in - Midoriya had sent his location. Shoto felt his blood freeze in his veins. "We need to go _right now._ Midoriya is in trouble."

"Why do you say that?" Nezu asked.

"He just sent his location. Midoriya only ever does that when he's in huge trouble and needs help immediately."

"We're going now," Aizawa hissed, flying out the door. "Todoroki, you only get involved if I say you can."

Shoto nodded, and then they were running. It took too long in Shoto's mind, but it was faster than dealing with traffic. In all reality, Shoto just wanted to know that Midoriya was okay. A situation like this could turn ugly really fast.

Once on the scene, Shoto was commanded to linger with Kamui Wooks. Left alone with the pro hero, he asked, "Was Midoriya okay when you saw him last?"

"Yeah, I hope it stayed that way."

It didn't assure Shoto at all - he was even less assured when he heard people yelling that the villain was getting away. Taking a page out of Midoriya's book, Shoto barrelled down into the subway entrance, heedless of the police officers and assorted heroes in the way.

When Aizawa saw him, he was more forceful than usual. "Go back, Todoroki, I didn't say you could-"

"Where's Midoriya? Should I call an ambulance?" Shoto interrupted, craning his neck. He fully expected Midoriya to be passed out somewhere, limbs destroyed beyond recognition. But he saw nothing and asked once more, "Where's Midoriya?"

Aizawa levelled Shoto with a grim look. "We were too late."

Shoto felt his heart pick up speed - surely he'd misheard Mr. Aizawa. "No, Midoriya has to be here, he's just hurt somewhere. We have to find him."

His teacher caught his arm before he could begin his frantic search. "Todoroki, he's gone. We have witnesses."

It couldn't be true. Shoto was shaking, a familiar icy feeling settling over his heart. It was the same ice Midoriya had broken through in their first year.

His eyes unconsciously found the charred portion of the cement. That was probably the last place Midoriya had stood. All the things Midoriya would never do again spun through Shoto's mind. He would never eat another bowl of katsudon, or analyze someone's quirk in his notebook ever again.

He never became the top hero Shoto knew he would have been.

Bakugou

Katsuki had just gotten back from patrol with Mt. Lady when his phone buzzed - it was just his mom. Choosing to ignore the call, he rose to get a drink. The old hag would give up and he would call her back when he could tolerate her voice a little more.

But she didn't give up. Katsuki's phone vibrated again and again until he finally snatched the thing and answered with a curt, "I'll talk to you when I feel like it, hag!"

"Katsuki, you need to sit down."

His mother's voice shocked him into obedience as he sank onto his bed. It was… fragile. And she called him Katsuki. You would think his name was actually Brat with as often as she called him such.

"Fine, I'm sitting."

"I was… I was just talking to Inko." Was that _emotion_ in Mitsuki's voice? A feeling of dread coiled in Katsuki's stomach as he waited for his mother to continue.

"It's Izuku," she finally said. "That bastard Hisashi got to him, she had to see the whole thing."

"Which hospital is Deku in?" Katsuki demanded. It was like when they were twelve all over again. Auntie Inko was probably crying, and he would make Hisashi pay for every tear the woman shed.

"He's not in a hospital."

"Then where is he? There's no way…" He trailed off, the words fully sinking in. "No."

"He killed Izuku. They're probably going to make an announcement to your whole school, but… Just don't be an idiot, kid. I'm going to be helping Inko out, but you can always call us."

Katsuki hung up on his mother without another word. She would understand, she would do the same if the roles were reversed. Neither of them handled emotions well. He was actually beginning to shake with rage - it filled his entire being, and he felt the intense desire to blow something up, _now._

He stalked downstairs to the main room where Kirishima was playing some video game with Kaminari and Sero. Without hesitation, he grabbed Kirishima by the back of his shirt, hauling him away form the game.

"Whoa, Bakugou, I was in the middle of something!" he protested.

"You're going to come spar with me before I blow up this entire building," Katsuki growled.

Kirishima followed, clearly worried, but he didn't say a thing. He let Katsuki attack him relentlessly, setting off explosion after explosion until he physically couldn't use his quirk anymore, hands shaking. It concerned Kirishima that his friend didn't seem like himself - he was attacking with no sense of technique or purpose.

Unable to set off anymore explosions, he turned to savagely punch a training dummy, throwing punch after punch as every profanity known to man sailed out of his mouth.

"Why? WHY?" Katsuki howled. "Why did he have to come back? Why did no one catch the bastard the first time he hurt the stupid nerd? We were supposed to be rivals, I was supposed to beat him, but I couldn't protect him. I should have killed the bastard when I had the chance!"

Wide-eyed, Kirishima watched as Bakugou broke down, his chest heaving. A few angry tears leaked from his eyes, so Kirishima released his quirk and hesitantly pulled Bakugou into a hug. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it will turn out fine," he assured.

Katsuki took a shuddering breath. "No. It won't."

Mirio

Togata had always liked Midoriya. The kid showed real promise, from his mind, not just his quirk. And once the initial shock had worn off, he was one of the only people to treat him normally after… after everything.

He hadn't been surprised to get a call from Nezy that week. More often than not the principal asked a former student to man the office during the monthly staff meetings he held - these included the entirety of the staff, to avoid any miscommunication.

Said meetings were highly confidential, and this one seemed longer than usual - but that made perfect sense as midterms were approaching.

But the meeting would be getting over soon. Togata was perfectly content with spending his entire shift without seeing a single other soul. Alas, it was not meant to be, as a shorter man with a buzz-cut walked in, putting his ID directly in front of Togata.

"I'm here to get my son Midoriya Izuku. It's a family emergency."

Midoriya must have resembled his mother more closely, because Mirio could only see the faintest of resemblance between this man and his son. But everything checked out, so he called Midoriya down. The kid looked scared, but that was normal for someone who was dealing with a family emergency, Togata reasoned.

There did seem to be something off about the man, this Hisashi, but grief does strange things to people. Togata found it a little endearing that Midoriya cared so deeply about school that he wanted to make sure his teachers knew where he was.

Then Midoriya had left and Mirio was being thanked for filling in. All Might and Aizawa had both slipped out before Togata could catch them, but it would probably be fine.

It wasn't fine.

He got so involved in thinking about all of the errands he had to run that day that Togata completely forgot to tell Aizawa or All Might about Midoriya leaving, but it should show up as an excused absence on the roster, so all should be well.

It was that night that Togata had major regrets. He idly turned on the evening news only to be confronted with amatuer footage of a villain fight in the subway - it was Midoriya, fighting alone.

It was Midoriya, dying alone.

Togata barely heard what the newscaster said about the whole situation, he was frozen, staring at the screen. What had he done?

Aizawa

Shota thought he knew what a bad day at work was. He thought he knew what the worst parts of teaching were.

Before today, he had experienced nothing.

He'd never had a class quite like this before. This particular group of kids were the experts at getting under his skin, constantly making him rethink everything he thought he knew about teaching. They were also undeniably the class he cared the most about.

They'd already been through so much, these kids. Almost everything before had made the class as a whole stronger, better suited to be heroes. But this… Something like this could break them. He desperately wished he could push the responsibility off to someone else, but it wouldn't be fair to that person or to his kids.

He had to tell them Midoriya was gone.

He was weary. Shota had stayed for what felt like eternity at the crime scene, answering questions and making a call to Nezu to inform him of… everything. Nezu had to deal with telling the teachers, he wasn't dealing with the devastation the news would bring upon his coworkers.

Mic was probably going to deafen a few people before Midnight put him to sleep. The worst would probably be Yagi. Shota could see the man going completely catatonic. But Midoriya commanded a special place in every teacher's heart, including Shota's (despite the rumors he didn't have one).

He had been actively avoiding thinking about how to face his students, and it was even worse once he got back to campus. In the dorms his students were relaxing after their various activities of the day. Luckily no one had the news playing that night. They deserved to hear it from him.

The lively din of his students hurt Aizawa to hear, and he could see that it was affecting Todoroki as well. He was worried about the kid, he got the impression that Midoriya was his first friend. But he couldn't change the situation now.

"Everyone, gather around," Shota called. He waited for the nineteen children to stop their various activities and cluster around him. Did they always seem so young, so fragile? It especially hurt to see those that were closest to Midoriya gaze at him expectantly, with so much trust in their eyes.

"Today there was an incident you all need to know about. While Midoriya was on patrol with Kamui Woods, a villain attacked a subway platform."

"Is Deku okay?" Uraraka asked. "Which hospital is he in?"

His students stared at him, all except Bakugou. The explosive blond stared at the ground, his hands shaking.

"Unfortunately backup came too late," Aizawa said, each word feeling like shards of broken glass in his mouth. "The villain killed Midoriya before the other heroes arrived."

Silence prevailed among his students before Kaminari said, "Nice joke, Mr. Aizawa. Really, where's Midoriya? Are there hidden cameras somewhere?"

"He's not joking," Bakugou growled. "Deku's bastard of a father killed him."

Soft gasps filled the room as his students struggled to accept the news. Shota saw the light leave their eyes as some began crying while others vehemently denied it. Iida and Uraraka were trying to poorly comfort one another while Kirishima asked through his tears, "Did you know?"

Shota pushed down the emotions rising in his chest. "Given how close you all were to Midoriya, you will each have a grief counselling session with Hound Dog, if you need to reschedule let me know. Go to bed soon, you all have class tomorrow."

With that, he swept out of the dorms. He probably should have followed his own advice and gone to sleep, he had class just as early as they did. But instead, he pulled his goggles over his eyes. He had a villain to find.


	10. The Service

Chapter 10: The Service

All Might

Yagi Toshinori had been through much in his life, but this day was proving to be the hardest yet. Ever since the announcement, Toshinori had had nightmares about both the death of Young Midoriya.

He had felt a deep foreboding when Nezu had collected the entirety of U.A.'s staff together for an urgent announcement. Aizawa had been notably absent, and Toshinori had reasoned that he was already with Young Midoriya in the hospital. He worried how bad the boy's injuries were to warrant an announcement of this degree, but he could never have pictured _this._

Nezu had delivered the news in as professional and regretful a tone was expected, but in all honesty, Toshinori barely remembered the actual words that were said - he only remembered a violent rejection, because _no, there was no way young Midoriya was…_

But more and more details came, and Toshinori felt a deep numbness sweep through him. It was a defense mechanism learned through all of his time as a hero - when someone doesn't make it, or you fail to save someone, you have to learn to shut out your emotions, or your effectiveness is compromised.

This day was testing Toshinori's abilities to do such things. He would soon have to accept the fact that Young Midoriya - no, Izuku, was gone. The boy truly had become the light of his life. Not only had Toshinori entrusted the young man with the fate of the world, but he was the only family that the retired hero had. A part of him still rejected the mere idea - a life so kind and bright couldn't be snuffed out so easily. Yet here he stood, waiting for the car carrying Mrs. Midoriya.

When the small woman arrived, Toshinori took it upon himself to escort her, lending her what semblance of strength he had left. She was paler than when he'd seen her last, and she looked frail, so very frail. But it was her resemblance to her son that hurt Toshinori the most.

Every footstep felt heavy as he led her to the room where the memorial service would take place. Silence stretched across their party, and it continued as more and more people filtered into the room. Tears threatened to spill as Toshinori watched Mrs. Midoriya carefully set young Midoriya's ashes in front of a large picture of the boy.

Young Midoriya would have been thrilled to see all of these heroes in one place, though embarrassed that they were here for him. More and more frequently Toshinori found himself doing that, pondering how Young Midoriya would have reacted to something, and it only ever served to cause him more pain.

The principal opened the proceedings with much the same attitude he had had when he announced Midoriya's death to the staff. Toshinori's heart stilled as Nezu announced that he would be the next speaker. Against his will he rose, slowly stepping towards the microphone. When he'd been the number one hero, he'd often felt that he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. Somehow this felt heavier.

He swallowed. "I've had the privilege of working closely with Young Midoriya during his time here at U.A., and I can tell you I've never met anyone who more perfectly embodies the ideals of a hero. He consistently used all of his strength in the pursuit of his goals, be it physical, mental, or emotional. Often that meant a few too many tears on his part, but young Midoriya never held back anything when it came to protecting others.

"He will be missed, there is no question of that. I already miss young Midoriya more than I could have ever fathomed. But he is not gone, not completely." Toshinori had to pause, swallowing the tears that threatened to overwhelm him. "Young Midoriya lives on in each of us here. Every time that someone acts in the name of justice, wholeheartedly and without hesitation, we honor his memory. My time as a hero is done, and his was just beginning. So we must honor his sacrifice, and give it the meaning it deserves."

Oh no, Mrs. Midoriya was crying. Well, it would probably be more accurate to say that now she was crying harder. But seeing the overwhelmed mother made Toshinori's throat feel tight. He needed to finish quickly.

"We can each become a bit more like young Midoriya. Each day we can work to become a bit more selfless, a bit more caring. Then, we can carry on his legacy, and leave the world a better place than it was before."

Toshinori was glad to sit down, but as he did, a sense of finality settled over him. Young Midoriya truly was gone. A part of him had refused to believe it before, but now it was impossible to do so. It was time to say goodbye.

Iida

Iida breathed in deeply. As he looked out to the crowd, he knew he had to do his job as the class president, but he could only think that it was his fault that they were here, that it should have been him that was felled that fateful day.

It almost was him. The group of pros that day had allowed the students to select which hero they wanted to patrol with, and Tenya had naturally gravitates towards Kamui Woods. He had always admired the hero, not as much as he admired Tensei, naturally, but he appreciated Kamui Woods' dedication to safety.

Midoriya had come late— Tenya would have felt it his duty to reprimand his friend if it hadn't been for the family emergency Midoriya had dealt with earlier in the day. In this instance Tenya supposed it was an acceptable excuse. To his credit, Midoriya was not the latest one there. He immediately made a beeline for Tenya, asking if he would consider switching patrols.

"After all," Midoriya had said, "You're going to be working with Kamui Woods next month. This would give you the opportunity to be exposed to different varieties of heroism."

Tenya adjusted his glasses. "You are correct, Midoriya. Very well, I will go on patrol with Death Arms instead." He turned away before pausing and slowly turning back. "Is everything… okay, Midoriya? You were gone for quite some time for your family business."

The boy had smiled, but Tenya could clearly see that everything was not okay. Tenya offered his ear and whatever help he could afford and then left the boy to his business. If he needed to he could press the matter once they got back from patrol.

But Midoriya never came back, he never would. Tenya could not express the horror he felt at Mr. Aizawa's announcement — Midoriya being gone was unthinkable. He felt much the same grief as everyone else, though hanging heavily over his head was the knowledge that if Tenya had not traded patrol routes, Midoriya would be alive.

He knew his words could never begin to convey the greatness of his friend, but it was Tenya's duty to try.

"Hello, my name is Iida Tenya. I am the class president of 2-A, but more importantly, I was one who called Midoriya Izuku a friend."

Tenya resisted the urge to clear his throat and instead adjusted his glasses. "When I first met Midoriya, I must shamefully admit that I severely underestimated him. I saw a timid boy with a habit of muttering that would never pass the U.A. entrance exam. However, that day, as always, Midoriya proved to be the wisest and most heroic of us all. He jumped in to save someone even when it jeopardized his chances of gaining entrance to U.A., and that was only the beginning of Midoriya's bravery. I think that each of us in Class 2-A would have a different story to tell to demonstrate his heroic spirit.

"And beyond all of those stories are countless more. Midoriya truly lived the life of a hero, and I cannot be prouder to have called him one of my closest friends. As hero students, it is our duty to learn from his example and become the best versions of ourselves."

He could feel the eyes of his class on him, and Tenya knew that they all felt the same urge to honor Midoriya that he did. Their class felt more unified than ever before, but the price was too high.

Uraraka

Ochako was determined not to cry. She had done enough of that since… that day, and anymore it felt like weakness to cry. She knew Deku wouldn't think so, but Deku also wouldn't want her to cry over him.

Emotionally she was a mess, but so was everyone. Out of the entire class, Deku was probably the student whose death would have hit the hardest. The teachers weren't the same either. U.A. in general seemed quieter, more somber.

This was true after the memorial service. The students shuffled back to the dorms, quieter than their teachers would have ever thought possible of the group of teenagers. Once they were back at the dorms they sat down in the main area, and the only real noise was a quiet debate about whether or not they should turn on the press conference. It was Yaoyorozu that finally settled the matter, stating, "It will be available online, which means that anyone who wants to view it can do so on their own terms. We all need to grieve in our own ways."

With that, the class uneasily sat in silence, miserable, miserable silence.

Ochako turned to Iida. "That was really a great speech, Iida. Deku would have cried."

"Yeah, it was super manly," Kirishima said with a shadow of his normal enthusiasm.

"Thank you, I hoped to convey even a fraction of Midoriya's heroism."

They lapsed into silence again for what felt like forever until the door opened, revealing Deku's mom accompanied by Mr. Aizawa and Present Mic. The students couldn't help but stare as they disappeared, walking towards the dorm rooms, probably Deku's room.

Ochako wasn't ready to have Deku's stuff taken away. She didn't spend very much time in his room, but the thought of it sitting empty… That hurt. She fretted about all of the changes that were bound to come. Who would move in to Deku's room? What would happen to all of his prized possessions?

Mrs. Midoriya came back downstairs with an armful of extremely familiar notebooks. Everyone snapped to attention, fully aware of the significance of said notebooks.

Surprisingly enough, it was Bakugou that broke the silence. He moved towards the woman purposefully, red eyes brimming with emotions. In a choked voice, he said, "I couldn't keep him safe, Auntie. I should have… I knew that Hisashi was bad news, I just -"

The smaller woman cut Bakugou off, pulling him into a one-armed hug. The two stood like that for a few moments, her tears staining his dress shirt. The entire class sort of froze at Bakugou willingly showing emotion. "It's not your fault," she said, pulling away. "The only person at fault is Izuku's murderer. I wanted to come here to make sure you know that, as well as thank each of you."

"Thank us?" Ashido asked, voice thick with tears.

"You may not know this, but Izuku was a late bloomer, actually one of the latest cases in history," she explained. "He was misdiagnosed as quirkless for years, and he was bullied because of it. But he never stopped standing up for others or wanting to be a hero. Everyone told him that it was impossible, but then he made it into U.A. For the first time he had friends, and even more he began to see all of you as family. I wanted… I wanted each of you to see yourselves how Izuku saw you. I know he admired every one of you. That includes teachers."

Ochako felt her resolve not to cry slowly crumbling away. She had always known that Deku kept a page about her in his notebook, but she'd never seen it herself. He'd always been a little too embarrassed to let her see it. Now here his mother was, who had lost so much, giving them one last piece of her son.

Once the small woman set the notebooks down, Ochako couldn't help herself. Her arms were wrapped around Mrs. Midoriya before she even realized what was happening, and the two cried with one another. Then Mrs. Midoriya rubbed Ochako's back, just like Ochako's mother did for her when she was small. "Thank you in particular. Thank you for caring about my son."

Ochako pulled away, wiping at her eyes. "Thank you for your son."

* * *

 **A/N: Sorry for the long wait! Finals are next week so I've been really busy, and these scenes were a little harder to write than I originally expected. I hope to have the next chapter of Arson up within a few days or so, but by now you all know how inconsistent I am with updates. Good luck to everyone else that has finals coming up, I just hope I survive!**


	11. Dabi

Chapter 11: Dabi

Dabi stared at the smoking remains of the bar with cold amusement. Shigaraki was wailin, and no one dared to get near him to attempt to calm him - they would likely get their face turned to dust if they did. Toga was laughing maniacally while Twice precariously perched on a pile of bricks.

"I suppose it's a good thing that Deku woke up," Twice said, and then in his deeper voice, " _Maybe he escaped before he was buried in rubble. But given how destroyed the building is, there's no way of knowing_."

"He _woke up_?" Shigaraki hissed, fingers curling into claws. "And you didn't let anyone know?"

" _It was just before the attack,"_ Twice said. "But chill out, bro. He's probably dead, the room was still locked and everything."

That was the wrong thing to say. Shigaraki lunged towards Twice with a feral yell, hand outstretched. It was so sudden that it would have been the end of Twice if a portal hadn't opened just in time, redirecting Shigaraki's hand and signalling the arrival of Kurogiri.

"Calm yourself, Shigaraki Tomura," his deep voice resonated. "What happened here?"

"What happened?" Shigaraki seethed, giving up on Twice and instead reaching for Kurogiri's physical body. As he plunged his hand through yet another portal, he hissed, "Arson happened, where were you?! You're the reason the bar is like this and Midoriya is either escaped or dead, you-"

"I believe we should concentrate on the matter at hand," Kurogiri said calmly, as if he hadn't just avoided death twenty times over. "We must gather anything of value left and find new accomodations."

"Don't tell me what to do," Shigaraki sneered.

"Ooh, I wonder if all those hands went up in smoke," Toga pondered gleefully.

The man snarled at the thought, disappearing to the rubble of the building. Toga skipped behind, looking for her knife collection. One by one the League members slipped away looking for their own possessions until only Dabi and Kurogiri were left.

"Are you not going to join in the search?" Kurogiri asked.

"I could ask you the same. Tell me, you intentionally gave the kid a smaller dose of the sedative, didn't you?" When Kurogiri said nothing, Dabi continued, "I'm not going to rat you out or anything, I hated seeing how they treated the kid as well. But it's highly suspect that you took a night off of babysitting the one time Midoriya didn't have enough of the drug in his system."

The warp-gate villain sighed. "I'm afraid it was all for naught with Arson's intervention. It seems I've merely allowed the man to kill that child twice."

"For what it's worth, I doubt the kid is dead," Dabi said, standing up and finally dusting himself off. "His class has proven more resilient than cockroaches, him especially. Once Twice was out of the room, there was nothing stopping the kid from busting through a wall - we wouldn't have even noticed it thanks to Arson."

"You are correct, the 1-A students have exhibited copious amounts of strength and luck, and Midoriya is going to need both in spades if he's going to survive."

"The kid is already removed from Toga's knives and Shigaraki's hands. Why does he need more than that?"

"The only sedative we had isn't meant for long-term use," Kurogiri said slowly. "It's highly addictive, and the withdrawal is enough to kill someone. It's often used for torture, the immense pain is useful for extracting information. I don't know which path would have been kinder, releasing him as I potentially have, or killing him more quickly."

"Remember, the kid was the second person to be acknowledged by Stain," Dabi said. "He's not going to give up, he likely appreciates the opportunity to keep fighting, maybe take down Arson. Besides, we're villains. We're not supposed to worry about which path is kindest. We do what we want and make others deal with the consequences."

"You make a fair point. So even now you adhere to Stain's ideologies, then? He has been in prison for some time now."

A slow, unsettling grin stretched across Dabi's face. "I followed Stain in the first place because he began showing the world that many heroes are flawed, deeply so. I wasn't sold on Midoriya the first time we met, but he's begun growing on me, like a fungus."

"Oh? And what brought that about?"

"I saw him bad-mouthing Endeavor after a villain fight once. After that I decided the kid was alright."

* * *

 **A/N: It's me again! Nothing much to say except that you should expect new chapters of Arson and Detective Midoriya soon. Also, I started a tumblr! It's the same username, so come visit me! I'd love to hear from you all!**


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